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Southeast Asia
US labels Mindanao, Sulu Archipelago as terrorist sanctuary
2006-03-10
The United States has tagged Mindanao and the Sulu archipelago in the southern Philippines as sanctuary and training grounds for terrorists.

Navy Admiral William J. Fallon, chief of the US Pacific Command, said the southern Philippines is also a recruiting ground for terrorist organizations.

"The southern Philippines, Mindanao, and the Sulu archipelago remain a sanctuary, training, and recruiting ground for terrorist organizations," he told the Senate armed services committee on Wednesday.

Fallon said activities by terrorists and their supporters have been centered in the Philippines, Indonesia, and Malaysia and that these countries are cooperating with the US.

"With the cooperation of those nations, we have been building capacity and strengthening the ability of those countries to resist the activities of the terrorists and to actively seek their capture or demise," he said.

He said Southeast Asia remains the command's focal point in the war on terror. He said winning the war on terrorism is his highest priority and to achieve that goal, the command is striving to eliminate the violence that now threatens the people and stability of the Asia-Pacific region. "We continue efforts to create a secure and stable environment," Fallon said.

"We have in place key elements to succeed in advancing US security interests and enhancing regional stability -- vibrant alliances, opportunities for new partnerships, combat ready and agile forces, and committed soldiers, sailors, airmen, and Marines to lead our efforts," he said.

He said the command is also working to mature joint and combined war fighting capability and readiness.

"Fundamental to success in the war on terror and continued stability in the Asia-Pacific region is our joint and combined war fighting capability and readiness," Fallon said.

"As virtually every operation and activity is conducted jointly and in concert with allies, it is important that we train to operate more efficiently as a multinational team."

Fallon did not say what terrorist groups were operating in the southern Philippines, but Manila previously admitted that dozens of members of the Southeast Asian terror group Jemaah Islamiya, including Dulmatin and Pitono -- who linked to the deadly 2002 Bali bombings, were hiding in Mindanao island.

Aside from the Jemaah Islamiya, the al Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf group, implicated in the spate of bombings and kidnappings of foreigners in Mindanao, and renegade members of the local Muslim separatist group Moro Islamic Liberation Front are also active in the southern Philippines.

Washington continues to support the Philippines, a key US ally in the so-called global war on terrorism, in fighting the Abu Sayyaf and Jemaah Islamiya. The two countries just concluded a joint anti-terrorism drill in the southern island of Jolo, a known stronghold of the Abu Sayyaf group.

Fallon said the Philippines has taken the lead on initiatives to improve counter-terrorism cooperation between the two countries.

Just this week, the Federal Bureau of Investigation added the leader of the Abu Sayyaf, Khadaffy Janjalani, and his two lieutenants Totoni Hapilon and Jainal Antel Sali to the Most Wanted Terrorists and Seeking Information-War on Terrorism lists.

The FBI said the terrorists are being sought for their alleged involvement in various attacks or planned attacks around the world.

Major General Gabriel Habacon, commander of military forces in the southern Philippines, praised the FBI for the inclusion of Janjalani and two senior Abu Sayyaf leaders to its wanted lists and said the Philippines will closely work with US authorities in the so-called war on terror.

He said there is an ongoing operation to track down members of the Abu Sayyaf in the southern region, including suspected Jemaah Islamiya militants believed to be hiding in Mindanao island.

The FBI said Janjalani, Hapilon and Sali are part of the terrorist organization Abu Sayyaf group, which is responsible for the kidnapping and murder of foreign nationals in the Philippines.

Last month, the US Embassy in Manila paid over US$100,000 reward to a Filipino in Zamboanga City who helped authorities capture Abu Sayyaf terrorist Toting Hanno.

Hanno was suspected of taking part in the abduction of three American citizens -- Christian missionary couple Martin and Gracia Burnham, and Guillermo Sobero -- from the Dos Palmas resort in the central Philippine province of Palawan in May 2001. Sobero was later killed and a year later Martin Burnham died in a US-led military rescue while his wife was wounded.

Hanno was arrested in May 2002, but escaped from the Basilan provincial jail a year later. He was recaptured in January last year on an island off Zamboanga.

Washington has already paid hundreds of thousands of dollars in rewards for the capture and killings of Abu Sayyaf members and leaders, including about US$359,600 to three men who helped locate Hamsiraji Sali, a key Abu Sayyaf commander who was killed in a clash with government troops in 2004 on Basilan island, about 15 miles south of Zamboanga City.
Posted by:Dan Darling

#3  The FBI has been very busy overseas in the last few years. Certainly they have expertise tracing suspicious bank transactions, amongst other things. A neighbor of mine came out of retirement to track down something in Iraq. He's been there for almost a year now.
Posted by: trailing wife   2006-03-10 13:25  

#2  why is the FBI even involved in this I thought they were domestic.
Posted by: bk   2006-03-10 10:03  

#1  There's our great FBI, right on time! Let's see- the ASG took the hostages in 2001, Cut off the guys head in 2002 and now it's 2006 and they finally made the list? Oh and after 9/11 the three held by the ASG were the only Americans held by terrorists until later in 2002. I hear people complain about the CIA all the time on this site, but the FBI has being screwed up down to an art form.
Posted by: 49 pan   2006-03-10 06:18  

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